In Asano Village, a portal arch quietly rose up inside a house. Cheryl Asano, Jason’s mother, froze as if time had stopped. She had seen little of her youngest son since his return from apparent death, except on the news. She hadn’t seen him at all since her eldest son followed him out into a...
2021-02-05 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostIn Venezuela, Jason identified and repaired another node. He was starting to get used to the process and had gotten the time required down to under an hour. After leaving the node space, he opened a portal back to the cloud house, currently disguised as a complex of hastily-erected prefab buildin...
2021-02-04 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostJason, Farrah and Dawn travelled from place to place, in search of nodes to repair. They used the grid interface in the cloud house to choose their next destinations, refining their accuracy as they learned more from each proto-space and node they explored. After the USA was Canada, Tanzania, Mya...
2021-02-03 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostAs Jason and Farrah flew through the air in Shade’s plane form, the sudden manifestation of Dawn’s new silver-rank avatar took them aback, and they shot out of their chairs.
“I have some questions,” Jason said to Dawn. “They can wait until you get some clothes, though.”
...
2021-02-02 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostNo one paid attention to one more man in a dark suit and dark glasses. There was no shortage of them as the funeral was conducted under a bright, clear sky, despite the winter. Jason’s use of aura control had progressed to the point that even in a crowd with many essence users he could manipula...
2021-02-01 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostThe cloud house was in a vacant lot of an abandoned Austrian town. Inside, Farrah, Itsuki and the Asano sisters waited anxiously. The portal had closed right behind them and Jason’s fate was unknown. Farrah had taken out some suppression collar skeleton keys she had made herself after seeing th...
2021-01-29 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostJason and Farrah both extended their senses when the arch remained empty and the portal failed to open. If they hadn’t been so shocked by their captured and dead companions they might have paid more attention to their surroundings but it was only now that they detected the magical devices set u...
2021-01-28 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe alien landscape of the node space was an uncanny mix of familiar features washed out in metallic silver light. A close examination of the ground, rocks and plants did not help, being made up of tiny blocks that gave it the feel of a low-resolution image. Jason wandered over to the river, whic...
2021-01-27 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
G'day, all.
Just to let everyone know, audio/ebook 1 will be available on audible and Kindle Unlimited beginning March 9, 2021. These versions have been professionally copy edited to clear out my embarrassing flubs along the way, making it the polished, definitive version of the story.
<... 2021-01-27 05:57:35 +0000 UTC View PostThe Network team from the Potsdam branch reached the aperture on Babelsberg Park and found it already open. The residue of the ritual used to open it was on the ground and in front of it was a Japanese woman with a category three aura, meditating with her eyes closed.
As trucks and helicopt...
2021-01-26 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostIn Switzerland, the resort town of Interlaken and the lakeshore villages around Lake Brienz had been evacuated during the monster waves. Determined an insufficiently populous area to warrant its own safe zone, the locals had been sent to the closest established safe zone, in the city of Thun.
... 2021-01-25 22:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostAt Jason’s request, Kaito didn’t conjure a new helicopter on entering the proto-space. Farrah carried a device that she and Jason had built together to find the optimal spot within the proto-space for Jason to conduct his ritual and they would inevitably encounter monsters along the way. They...
2021-01-22 22:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostWith the monster waves gone, recovery efforts were underway. The death toll continued to grow as the full depth of the monster wave catastrophe was assessed, blowing past early estimates to cross the two million mark as abandoned rural areas were once more made accessible.
Stalled distribut...
2021-01-21 22:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostAmy and Kaito had taken over the main residence of Asano Village when Erika's family was stashed away, cementing Amy's position as de facto mayor. Jason had claimed the bushland house previously occupied by his grandmother, where he delved into the study of astral magic. He wanted to be closer th...
2021-01-20 22:01:02 +0000 UTC View PostAnnabeth Tilden and three silver-rankers were standing outside the main gate of Asano Village, facing Jason and Farrah.
“We didn’t betray you, Mr Asano,” Anna said.
“No?” Jason asked. “Then I guess the GDN spokesperson on the news stating that our association had been ende...
2021-01-19 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostDawn, Erika, Yumi and Asya were on the sandy beach of the lagoon, waiting for the other to emerge from the sea cave. Jason and the others emerged on black jet skis that dissolved into darkness as they beached themselves on the sand. Erika snatched her daughter into a worried hug and Farrah slappe...
2021-01-18 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostIn an otherworldly realm washed in amber monochrome, Jason was face to face with Mr North, the head of the Engineers of Ascension.
“Saving the world the right way requires your guidance, does it?” Jason asked. “You’ll forgive me for not taking you at your word.”
“Repairing...
2021-01-15 22:01:01 +0000 UTC View PostJason walked over the surface of the water with his niece, his cloak wrapped around them both to keep her body light. The Tiwari patriarch also walked over the water, while Itsuki and his father rode in an inflatable dinghy. Motes of light emerged from Jason’s cloak, spreading out to illuminate...
2021-01-14 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostItsuki left Jason with the three elders, the Tiwari clan patriarch and his two younger brothers. The patriarch was Denji, the middle brother Souta and the youngest, Itsuki’s father, was Koya. The office of the patriarch was a large room with a desk over to one side and a lounge area off on the ...
2021-01-13 22:02:56 +0000 UTC View PostThe Arima Grand Resort was a palace hidden in a forest, the most opulent of the many accommodations in Arima Onsen Town. With magic now out in the open, Jason didn’t have to go to the bother of hiding it as he approached the resort, Shade transforming from car to a cloud of shadow right outside...
2021-01-12 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe Tiwari clan seat was located in Arima Onsen Town, nestled in beauteous nature amongst thickly forested hills. The car taking Jason to meet the clan made its way north toward Kobe’s Kita-ku ward also contained the Asano clan patriarch, Shiro, and his two daughters. The elder, Akari, was sitt...
2021-01-11 22:01:01 +0000 UTC View Post“Where are our guests now?” Noriko asked. She was the strongest member of the Asano clan and the patriarch’s mother. Noriko and Shiro were in a room with the rest of the clan leadership, eight elders kneeling around a low table.
“Lunch is being prepared, hosted by my daughters,” S...
2021-01-08 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostIn a quiet dojo, Akari and her father faced off, each wearing a gi, a suppression collar and holding a wooden sword. The swords and the room were both parts of an integrated magical system where the swords would not deal damage but inflict numbing pain that would briefly paralyse, in accordance w...
2021-01-07 22:00:04 +0000 UTC View Post“Are we landing at Kansai International Airport?” Emi asked as she emerged from the cockpit. “It’s on an artificial island.”
Jason looked up from the book of astral magic theory he was reading.
“Sorry, moppet,” Jason told her. “I’d love to do some exploring with you ...
2021-01-06 22:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostAs Shade, in his plane form, continued winging towards Japan, Jason was laying on the bed in a small sleeping cabin. Fresh from the land of the dead that Makassar had become, his mind was troubled. He looked at the door; there was no knock but he felt Asya’s presence on the other side.
...
2021-01-05 22:01:00 +0000 UTC View PostThe Four Cardinals of the EOA were sitting at the desk in their meeting chamber. On the wall, a news report was on the large screen.
“…Asano is believed to be responsible for what people are calling ‘the Butterflies of Makassar,’ which look so beautiful when filmed from high in the ...
2021-01-04 22:00:03 +0000 UTC View PostJason was on the roof of the main residence in Asano Village. There was a helicopter pad and, as would soon become important, the facilities to clean a helicopter. He didn’t use the cloud house to meditate because the supply of diluted crystal wash that was the fuel for its cleaning functions w...
2020-12-25 13:35:06 +0000 UTC View PostAs Jason drained the life force from the dead monsters around him, the drone came down to hover in front of him.
“Jason,” Farrah’s voice came through it. “I can direct you back to the defence line.”
“Shade has brought me up to speed,” Jason said. “A lot of civilians we...
2020-12-18 13:18:59 +0000 UTC View PostOutside of the collapsing second proto-space, the sky grew dark over the real city of Makassar. A beautiful sunset contrasted the horror below, with large portions left looking like the bombed-out capital of a failed state. When the sun had risen it had been a thriving city, one of Indonesia’s ...
2020-12-17 22:00:02 +0000 UTC View PostKing stood on a rooftop, clutching Shade’s head in his hand.
“You can hear me through this vessel, can’t you?” King asked.
“Yes,” Jason’s voice came from Shade.
“I am going to find you and kill you.”
“Probably, yes,” Jason said.
“You do not fe...
2020-12-16 22:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post